


Christmas With the Caulfields

by SkyShadow22



Series: Sunshine for Everyone [1]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Christmas, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-02
Updated: 2016-03-24
Packaged: 2018-05-17 19:16:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5882404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyShadow22/pseuds/SkyShadow22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Max and Chloe take a trip to Seattle to spend the holidays with their families.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> So it's a little after Christmas. Oops.

Chloe knocked on the large wooden door of Max’s parents’ house. The house wasn’t necessarily “fancy,” but it was bigger and nicer looking than the house Chloe had grown up in. It probably helped that Vanessa and Ryan hadn’t had her and Max tearing through the house as kids. She had some flashes of the house Max had grown up in back in Arcadia Bay, but they spent most of their time at the Price house, so her memory of it was a bit hazy.

Max stood next to her, shivering slightly from the wind. “Hit the doorbell. They don’t always hear knocking.”

It didn’t snow much in Seattle, which Chloe was disappointed about, but it definitely felt like December. Chloe had a thick army jacket that didn’t really provide warmth, but it was great at keeping out cold air. The holiday sweater she was wearing beneath the jacket did most of the work at keeping her warm. Chloe shifted her duffel bag to her other arm so she could wrap her arm around her cold girlfriend. “Don’t you have a key? Is the door even locked?”

She felt Max press into her side. She had adapted to California too much and didn’t have proper winter wear. “Yeah, but I think my mom really likes greeting us at the door.” Chloe hadn’t been to this house since they’d moved to California. Their parents had come to visit them last Christmas and the girls didn’t make enough money to allow them to make the trip up to Seattle very often. She rang the door bell, which gave a typical “ding dong” sound. Less than thirty seconds later, the door opened quickly to reveal the smiling face of Max’s mother.

Vanessa Caulfield was even shorter than Max but she almost knocked the two girls over with the enthusiastic hug she gave them. “Oh, I’ve missed you girls so much!” She let them go and looked them over. “Max, your new hair looks even better in person! I love it!”

Max blushed slightly and touched her newly bobbed hair. “Thanks. Do you think we can come in, mom?” Max said as she bounced slightly in the cold.

“Oh! Yes, sorry dear. Come in, come in.”

They stepped through the door and were hit with a wave of warmth and the smell of food. Chloe was amazed in that moment how much this house felt like a home to her. She had only stayed here for a few months after the storm while Max finished school. Chloe ended up being in the house more than Max, since she took online courses to finish her GED. Max’s parents both worked so Chloe had a lot of time to herself to get to know the house.

“Are those my girls I hear?” a deep voice yelled from down the hall.

“Oh, dad’s making ribs tonight. I hope you girls are hungry.” Vanessa’s smile was almost glowing. She looked so happy to see them. It reminded Chloe of the look her own mom gave the two of them sometimes.

“Ryan’s making his ribs? Oh hell yes,” Chloe said. “I think I’m starting to drool already.” Max left her suitcase and took off her shoes, then jogged towards the kitchen, still in her coat. Chloe smiled at her girlfriend who was practically skipping at how excited she was to see her parents. She took the handle of Max’s suitcase and started towards the stairs. “I’m gonna put these in her room.”

Vanessa put her hand on Chloe’s shoulder. “Nonsense, you go relax. You must be tired from driving for so long.” She wasn’t wrong. The trip was around thirteen hours, plus the couple stops they had made. Chloe was pretty exhausted, especially since she did most of the driving. “I’ll take the bags, you go chat with Ryan. There’s fresh cookies in the kitchen, too.” Max’s mother winked at that.

“Cookies and ribs? I’m starting to think you’re trying to fatten me up,” Chloe joked.

Vanessa laughed. “Honey, your mother’s cooking is twice as good as me and my husband combined. I would kill to have her cook for me and still have your figure.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. I loved everything you guys made while I stayed here. Besides, let my mom be the judge of that. I’m sure she’ll appreciate having someone make her dinner for once.”

“Oh, speaking of which, your parents will be in on the 23rd, right?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Joyce and David were flying in for a few days to have Christmas at the Caulfields’. The whole thing had been Vanessa’s idea back in September. Chloe was sure they were all too nice to say it, but it would certainly be an improvement over last year. The parents had rented hotel rooms to visit their daughters for a couple days. David had almost gotten into a fight with the guy who very roughly took their luggage to the room and Max’s parents were pretty sure their room had been next to a Honeymoon Suite. Max and Chloe had done their best to entertain for Christmas but ended up setting the oven on fire and dousing the ham in fire extinguisher foam.

“Lovely. I can’t wait to see your mother, she's delightful.”

Chloe smirked. “Aren’t you excited to talk to David, too?”

Vanessa gave an amused smile. “You be nice. Your stepfather is a wonderful man.”

“Yeah, he’s alright,” Chloe remarked sarcastically. Vanessa raised her eyebrow. “I’m just kidding. We get along much better. We’ve moved on from ‘mutual hostility’ to ‘mutually sarcastic assholes.’ I even got him a gift!”

Max’s mom chuckled. “Glad to hear it. Speaking of which, is your car unlocked? I’ll go get the gifts.”

“Oh, yeah, it is. Thanks!” Chloe lowered her voice and glanced down the hall. “Just leave the big box. That’s Max’s surprise gift.”

Vanessa gave a mischievous smile and winked at her. “Gotcha. Now go on, take off your coat and go get some cookies.” 

Chloe did as she was told, removing her jacket and boots. With her jacket off, Vanessa gave her a look of amusement and distaste. “Oh, Lord, you still have that sweater.” Two years ago, when they had been staying here, Max had gifted Chloe the sweater. It was red with green mistletoe in rows on the front. However, Vanessa was referring to the back, which read “KISS MY ASS” in festive block letters and had a large mistletoe at the bottom. Chloe absolutely loved it and wore it the entire month of December around the house. Max had made her stop wearing it in public after she got into a loud argument with a mother over its vulgarity.

“Are you kidding? This is the best gift I’ve ever gotten.” Vanessa rolled her eyes with a smirk and nodded towards the hall. Chloe followed the smell of meat towards the kitchen, looking at hanging pictures as she went. She had seen most of them before, mostly group family pictures. There was a new one hanging that she recognized. It was a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset that Max had taken. Chloe smiled and felt a small swell of pride seeing one of Max’s pictures enlarged and hanging. “Today, your parent’s house. Tomorrow, your own art gallery,” she said under her breath.

Chloe walked into the kitchen to find Max sitting on one of the counter tops, kicking her feet slightly as her legs dangled. Chloe felt her face flush a bit at how damn cute it was. Max was talking about school with her dad, who was standing over an indoor grill, tending to his ribs. Chloe was positive Max got her everything from Vanessa, since Ryan Caulfield was six and a half feet tall and a bear of a man. He had a bushy beard that covered the entire lower half of his face.

Max saw Chloe and stopped talking to smile at her. Her dad noticed and turned towards her, his beard shifting into a huge grin. “There she is! C’mere!” He held his arms open and Chloe came in for a hug. He was extremely gentle for how big he was, probably due to his wife and daughter being so small in comparison. He released Chloe and looked at her, his expression changing to a very stern and solemn glare. “Have you touched my daughter?”

“DAD,” Max yelled.

“Every day,” Chloe replied with a shit-eating grin. Ryan burst out laughing and Chloe saw Max bury her face in her hands, her ears bright red. “See, Max? Your dad gets my sense of humor.”

“DON’T ENCOURAGE HIM!” Max yelled through her hands.

Her dad gave Max a kiss on the top of her head. “So how have you been, Chloe? How are school and work and such?” he asked as he turned his attention back towards the sizzling meat. Chloe stared at the source of the delicious smell for a moment before registering that she had been asked a question.

“Oh, uh, yeah. Awesome.”

Ryan chuckled. “Dinner’s still about 40 minutes out. If you girls are starving, you can raid the fridge. Just keep room for these babies.”  
Max and Chloe exchanged a glance. They were both ready to eat anything put near their mouths, but wouldn’t dare to take up any stomach room that was reserved for the Caulfields’ cooking. “No way, dad. We’re not gonna risk ruining our appetites before getting your famous ribs.”

“You two always call them ‘famous’ but I’ve yet to receive an offer from any cooking shows,” he joked.

“Dude I’ve had dreams about those ribs. They’re famous in my book.” Chloe had moved to lean against the counter next to where Max was sitting. She couldn’t get over how adorable Max’s excitement at being home was and had to sneak a quick kiss on her cheek. Max’s smile got slightly wider at that.

“Oh! You haven’t said hello to everyone yet,” Ryan said.

“Oh, shit, you’re right. Where’s Buddy?” Chloe was glad Max’s parents didn’t mind her swearing. It was hard to bite her tongue and it made her uncomfortable when she couldn’t be herself around people.

“He’s out in the yard right now. He was just sitting next to me and staring while I was cooking so Vanessa gave him a bone and sent him out. He probably heard you two arrive.” Chloe exited the kitchen to the hall, which ended in a thick glass door that led to the back yard. Sure enough, the big golden retriever was sitting right at the door and looking in. He saw Chloe and started dancing in place a bit.

Chloe opened the door and was almost knocked over by the excited dog. “Hey Buddy!” she said in the kind of silly voice that people tend to use when talking to animals. She rubbed her hands through his thick fur as he squirmed around her and between her legs. His tail slapped against her leg and she half expected it to leave a bruise. “How you doin’, boy? How’s my Buddy?” Chloe was pretty sure this dog was one reason this house felt so comforting. He had kept her company on lonely days and been a comfort to her and Max after all the shit they’d gone through.

Max appeared behind her and Buddy shifted his attention, this time actually causing his target to lose balance. Max fell on her butt and giggled as Buddy licked her face. “I missed you too, boy!” She put her arms around the dog and scratched along his back. 

Chloe smiled at Max as she laughed. Her mind went back to when they’d first arrived here after leaving the wreckage of Arcadia Bay. That week had taken its toll on them, but especially Max. The drive here had mostly been silent. Chloe had been exhausted, but Max was a complete wreck. But when they arrived here, Chloe saw the relief on Max’s face at being somewhere safe. She saw it move through her body. She practically melted in her mother’s arms when she hugged her at the door. 

It was a few weeks after they’d gotten here that Max finally smiled again. It was a moment just like this, with Buddy knocking her over and acting like her being there was just the absolute best thing he could ever experience, which was something Chloe fully understood. And she smiled. She smiled and laughed and cried a little as the dog licked her face and wagged his tail. And Chloe laughed a bit as well and started fully crying, because she was scared that she would never see Max smile again. Max’s camera had been close by and Chloe took a picture of that moment, because that was the moment Chloe knew they’d be okay. That Max would be okay.

Chloe noticed her eyes starting to water and took a deep breath to get rid of the tightness in her chest. “Hey, I’m gonna grab a quick shower so I don’t make your parents gag at dinner.” Max said okay and she made her way upstairs towards Max’s room. She started up the stairs but a glimpse of color from the living room caught her eye. She walked into the room and stared at the mantle, where a dozen or so family pictures stood. These weren’t posed like the ones in the hall. These were more natural, shots taken in the moment.

There was one of Vanessa holding newborn Max, one of Max as a small child on Ryan’s shoulders, there was even one of Max and Chloe at around ten years old. Max was giving a cute closed-mouth grin while Chloe showed off her teeth, two of which were missing. They all had Max in the shot and most had one or both parents. But the one that had caught Chloe’s eye was much newer. It was one that must have been put up after they moved to California, because she had never seen it before. It was of Max and Chloe, grown up, not even two years ago, standing in the back yard. Their foreheads were touching, their eyes were closed, and they both wore the purest smile imaginable as they held each other’s hands.

Chloe had her hand over her mouth as tears started to pool in her eyes. She sniffed and choked out “Max! C’mere!” Her voice cracked as she called and Max came quickly, looking concerned.

“Chloe, are you okay?” Chloe nodded, her hand still over her mouth. She just pointed to the picture sitting on the mantle.  
Max looked it over and seemed to realize the same thing Chloe had. “Is that…?” Chloe nodded again. “Wowser…Maybe mom should be the photographer.”

Chloe laughed and hugged her tightly just as Vanessa came downstairs. She saw the pair and seemed as concerned as Max was. “Are you girls okay?”

Chloe let go of Max so she could face her mother. “Mom, this picture,” she started.

Vanessa smiled. “I’m sorry, you two just looked so perfect. I needed a good picture of you two to put up with the others.”

Max had started to tear up a bit. She sniffed and shook her head. “No, mom. It’s just…that was right after Chloe and I said that we loved each other for the first time.”


	2. Silent Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A late night conversation in Max's bedroom.

Max was surprised at how odd it felt to sleep in this bed with Chloe. They had slept here before, while they were staying here with her parents. But after moving into their own place and having a bed that was theirs from the start, Max felt like a teenager now. This was her old bed at her parents’ house and her parents were across the hall. Max smiled and giggled quietly as she squeezed Chloe lightly. Chloe moved her hand up to where Max’s head rested below her chin and gently stroked her hair. “Whatcha laughing about, cutie?” she asked quietly.

“I have a girl in my bed,” Max joked.

Chloe chuckled as she said, “You have a girl in your bed every night.”

Max propped herself up on one arm to turn and look at Chloe. Their faces were barely five inches apart as Max stared into her girlfriend’s eyes shining from the light of the full moon coming through the window. Chloe had redyed her hair just last week so the vibrant blue practically glowed. Max loved that she would occasionally have moments like these where she would look at Chloe and be surprised at how beautiful she was. “Yeah, but this is my bed from high school. I know we’ve slept here before but…I dunno, I just feel like a teenager.”

Chloe grinned at her and narrowed her eyes a little. “Well, we could act like mischievous teens if you want,” she teased as she ran her hand down Max’s back. She stopped on Max’s ass and gave a slight squeeze.

“Chloe, no, my parents are across the hall,” Max protested half-heartedly.

“So? That hasn’t stopped us before.”

This was true and the offer was tempting, but Max figured they could fight the urge for a few days while they were visiting. She leaned forward and kissed the blue haired girl apologetically. “Keep it in your pants,” Max teased. Chloe contorted her face in annoyance, which made Max smile. She lied back down and nuzzled beneath Chloe’s chin. They stayed silent for a while and Max started to drift to sleep as she listened to Chloe’s breath.

“Hey Max?” Chloe’s voice brought Max back awake. “Do you really love me?”

Max quickly turned to look at Chloe again. “What? Chloe, of course I do.” Max searched her girlfriend’s face. Chloe looked at her curiously, which was odd. Serious questions like that were usually accompanied by a more anxious, almost fearful expression. After all the people she had lost in her life, Chloe had abandonment issues, which manifested in several ways. Conversations like this one were examples. Max had also learned to wake Chloe if she got up before her in the morning. There had been a few times when Chloe had frantically searched for Max upon finding her missing from the bed.

Max never liked it when it came up, but she understood and did her best to help Chloe get past it. But right now, Chloe didn’t look scared or worried. She was surprisingly calm as she spoke. “Are you sure? I mean, I’m a total pain in the ass. I leave clothes all over the apartment, I snore, I fart in the car all the time, I yell at my games and play loud music, I’ve gotten us banned from three restaurants and a clothing store-”

“Chloe!” Max interrupted. She moved so she was sitting up with her legs crossed and could properly look at Chloe. “I don’t care that you’re a pain in the ass.” Max smiled as Chloe shoved her shoulder playfully. “You’re my best friend, Chlo. Those things don’t bother me. And I actually sleep better with your snoring now.”

Chloe gave Max a puzzled look. “What? You said I snore like a jackhammer.”

Max shrugged. “I got used to it. Where’s this coming from?”

Chloe’s expression changed slightly, a hint of concern mixed into her inquisitive look. “I just…” Chloe moved to mirror Max’s sitting position on the bed. “That picture your mom has made me realize that we’ve been dating for two years.”

Max cocked her head slightly. “Chloe, we celebrated our anniversary last month. Did you forget?”

Chloe shook her head. “I know, but…that was different. Being here again and seeing that photo…Max, we’ve been through a lot together.” She took Max’s hands in hers. “I think part of why we started dating was…” Max saw her searching for the right words. “Comfort. Even during that week, we leaned on each other so we could get through…everything. I want to make sure that we’re not just riding that out, staying together because of a whirlwind romance or a sense of obligation.”

Max looked at their hands and began to run her thumbs along Chloe’s palms. “I know. I’ve thought about that, too. We sort of jumped head first into a relationship.” Max recognized that she had used Chloe to cope and to move on from what had happened. She’d always wondered if Chloe noticed, but apparently she had. Max sometimes wondered if it had been a good idea to move so quickly. She and Chloe were basically living together while they were staying here. It had been a month of them sleeping in each other’s arms before they really started dating. Then a few months later they went to the same school and actually moved in together.

Max often had doubts on the strength of their relationship. On paper, it didn’t look great. Like Chloe said, it was a sudden romance built on the foundation of using each other to cope. Max looked up and met Chloe’s eyes and once again, just like every other time she looked at her, Max knew it didn’t matter. When she looked at Chloe, she didn’t think of what had happened to them or what might happen in the future. She just saw Chloe. Her best friend, her soul mate, the girl that meant so much to Max that she defied reality to keep her alive. Whatever came their way, Max would stand by Chloe and they would get through it together.

Max leaned in and kissed Chloe deeply. She pulled away, but kept her face close, gazing into Chloe’s eyes. “I love you, Chloe Price. I will always love you and I will always fight for you.”

Chloe silently held her gaze for a moment, then smiled and gave Max a quick kiss. “Good. Just making sure.” Chloe returned to lying down with a contented grin. Max mirrored Chloe’s smile and cuddled up against her. Chloe put her arms around Max and sighed.

“Are you okay now, Chlo?” Max asked.

“Yeah, I’m good. Just had to put my mind at ease.” Chloe gently tightened her arms around Max and kissed the top of her head. “Good night, Max.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a surprising while to get right and I'm still not entirely happy. Next chapter is Joyce and David arriving! Still haven't thought much about it so it might be longer before that's posted but hopefully not too long.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading!!


	3. Alone Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is more like Chapter 2.5 but APPARENTLY that's not allowed.

Max heard her phone buzz with a text message as she began to wake up. She swung her arm around behind her and groped the night stand for her phone. Her fingers found it and brought the device in front of her face. Max broke one eye open slightly to read the message.

“MOM: Max, I had to run to the office for a few hours. I’m really sorry about working while you’re here visiting! My coworkers are just so useless at times >_< I’ll be home around 2! Love you sweetie!!”

Max had to read it a couple of times to process the contents. Her still asleep brain finally understood and she reached behind her back and dropped the phone to the floor. Chloe let out a loud snore and confirmed that she was still asleep, so Max cuddled up to her tighter and joined her for a while longer.

An hour later, which felt to Max like five minutes, her phone went off again. She hadn’t fallen asleep too deeply so the text tone brought her to a more alert state this time. The brunette reluctantly opened her eyes and rolled over to retrieve her phone. She grabbed it and read a text from her dad.

“DAD: Had to run some errands. Be back around noon.  
There’s coffee in the kitchen. Love you.”

Max put the phone back on her nightstand and lay back, staring at the ceiling and listening to Chloe snoring. After a few minutes, she decided to get up and get a shower. She propped herself up on one arm and prodded Chloe. “Chlo, I’m gonna take a shower.” No response. “Chloe.” Her girlfriend continued to snore. Max moved to sit cross-legged next to Chloe and started bouncing up and down. “Chloooooooeeeeeeeee,” she whined.

Chloe finally started to wake up. “Uggh, what??” she said as she rolled over and buried her face in the pillow.

“I’m gonna take a shower. Cmon, time to get up.”

Chloe groaned again, but that meant she was awake and knew where Max was going. Max got up and searched through her suitcase, picking out clothes for the day. Clothes in hand, she left the bedroom and went to the bathroom at the end of the hall.

Max put her clothes down and turned on the shower. She pulled off Chloe’s baggy T shirt that was almost a dress on Max. As she did, she glanced at the clock, which read 10:34. She started to pull off her underwear when her brain finally woke up and made a realization. Max turned off the shower and exited, going down the hall and glancing into her parents’ room, which was empty. She continued downstairs, checking each room. The only other inhabitant was Buddy, who was lying in his bed in the living room and greeted her with a sleepy look and a slow tail wag.

Max went back upstairs and realized she should have covered her naked torso before checking if her parents were home. She returned to her bedroom to find Chloe in her jeans and struggling with fastening her bra. “Hey Chloe.” The blue haired girl paused her hands and turned her head to look at Max. Max saw her eyebrows raise slightly when she saw Max in nothing but her underwear. “We have the house to ourselves for an hour and a half.”

Chloe stared at her for about five seconds before throwing her bra off and unzipping her jeans. By the time Chloe’s pants reached her ankles, Max’s tongue was in her mouth. Chloe stepped out of her jeans as they kissed and they moved together towards the bed. They stopped next to the bed and Max gave Chloe a shove onto it.

“Make it count, Caulfield,” Chloe teased through heavy breaths. “It might be a few days before we get time alone again.”

Max crawled on top of her and kissed her deeply. She pulled her mouth away only an inch to respond, “I’ll make sure the neighbors hear you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting for a bit! Got a new job and have been hella busy. Hopefully this will be enough until I can finally get the next full chapter up.
> 
> Also, sorry for the tease. I've never written sex scenes and don't want to post a first attempt at it >_>
> 
> As always, I appreciate the hits and kudos and comments and everything <3 Thank you so much for reading!!


	4. The More the Merrier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joyce and David arrive for the holidays.

“C’mon, Chloe, you must be excited to see them.”

Chloe was sprawled out on the couch, resting her legs on Max’s lap, while the two of them watched the first Die Hard. Joyce and David had landed and Max’s dad was currently picking them up from the airport.

“Yeah, it’ll be nice. Haven’t seen em in a while.” Chloe was mostly apathetic about seeing her parents. She had spent most of her teenage years fighting with her mother and trying to set David on fire with her mind. These past couple of years had been much better, but she still wasn’t super close to them.

Max scoffed. “You’ll be happy once they’re here.”

Chloe smirked. Max was right about that, but not for the reason she thought. Chloe lifted her legs off of Max and stood up. “I need another soda so I don’t doze off. You want anything?”

“No thanks.”

Chloe moved to the kitchen, where Vanessa was baking even more cookies. Buddy looked almost asleep under the table, but was patiently waiting for any food to hit the floor. Max’s mom smiled at Chloe as she entered. “Whatcha need, hon?”

Sometimes Vanessa reminded Chloe of her own mother. They were both extremely hospitable and made sure the girls were taken care of. It hurt a bit for Chloe to think how she treated Joyce all those years. She was pretty sure that guilt was part of her apprehension about seeing her mother, but their relationship was getting better. She was even getting along with David now. Chloe’s remarks towards him had changed from hostile to sarcastic, which was usually met with his own smartass comment.

“Just grabbing a soda.” Chloe looked at all the baking sheets, ingredients, and mixing bowls on the table and counter. “Are you sure you don’t want help? I feel like a total mooch just watching TV while you’re working in here.”

Vanessa chuckled. “It’s fine, dear. You and Max are on vacation. Just relax.” She pointed to one of the pans on the counter. “Those are fresh. Take some in there for the both of you.” Chloe obeyed and took a handful of warm snickerdoodles. She stuffed one in her mouth and grabbed a can of soda from the fridge.

Chloe went to leave, but stopped in the doorway. “Seriously, lemme wash dishes or something.”

Vanessa stopped working the cookie dough and pointed the rolling pin at Chloe. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve gotten to pamper my family like this? If I scream ‘fire,’ then you can come help. Until then, shoo.” Chloe smiled and nodded, then exited.

Chloe walked back into the living room to find that Max was now taking up the entire couch, her reindeer slippers propped up on the arm of the couch. She was wearing a Nirvana hoodie (that used to be Chloe’s, until Max claimed it) and was chewing on one of the drawstrings as she watched the movie. “Goddammit, Caulfield,” Chloe thought. “Stop being so cute all the time.”

Chloe waved her hand to get Max to lift her head so she could sit down. She dumped the cookies on Max’s stomach since she had forgotten a plate. Max giggled and grabbed one, popping it in her mouth. The two of them stayed there and finished the movie and cookies. Chloe absentmindedly played with Max’s hair, which seemed to almost put her to sleep. After the movie, Max flipped channels and settled on the Doctor Who marathon.

After a while, Chloe heard a car pull into the driveway. Buddy must have heard it first, since he was sitting by the door by the time Chloe noticed. She prodded Max. “Hey, I think they’re here.” Max stretched and got up, with Chloe following her lead.

The front door opened to reveal Ryan. “We’re back!” he called. 

David walked in behind him, followed by Chloe’s mother. Chloe smiled and was mildly annoyed that Max was right. Seeing her mom made her heart jump and she hurried over to hug Joyce, who jumped a bit and let go of her suitcase so she could return Chloe’s hug. “Hey mom.”

Joyce squeezed her tightly for a few seconds before releasing her. She looked Chloe over and shook her head. “You look more like an adult every time I see you. You’re makin’ me old, girl.” 

Chloe grinned, then looked to David standing next to her. He nodded to Chloe. “I see you haven’t fixed your hair.”

Chloe crossed her arms and gave him the smuggest look she could muster. “I see you haven’t fixed the porn ‘stache.” They stood there and looked at each other for a couple of seconds. 

David broke first and laughed. He opened his arms and Chloe hugged him. “Missed ya, you little punk.”

They separated and Chloe took a step back. “Must be pretty boring without me,” she said with a smirk. 

Joyce looked past Chloe and put her hands on her hips. “Max Caulfield, you get your butt over here.” Max moved ahead of Chloe and threw her arms around Joyce. “God it is so good to see you girls,” Chloe’s mother cooed as she hugged Max. “I hope you’re still keepin’ Chloe out of trouble.”

Max freed herself and shrugged. “As best as I can.” She and Joyce chuckled. Max moved to David and gave him a side hug. Their height difference showed as he awkwardly responded by putting his arm around her head.

“Alright, enough mushy shit. Cmon, mom, I’ll show you the guest room.” David was petting Buddy and Chloe snatched the duffelbag that was sitting next to David’s feet before he could protest.

“Here, I’ll take your bag, Joyce,” Max offered.

“Hey, go help your mom. She’s working her butt off and wouldn’t let me help.” Chloe glanced at her mom.

“David, why don’t you relax and catch up with Ryan? You were stressed that whole trip.” Chloe caught the look her mother gave David and he seemed to notice as well. Max appeared to be oblivious, though she also looked half asleep. Ryan had gone to the kitchen and as the four of them moved down the hall, David and Max split off to join him and Vanessa.

Chloe and her mother went to the end of the hall and entered the guest room. Chloe closed the door behind them and tossed David’s bag next to the bed. “So? You have it?” she asked her mother.

Joyce smiled and patted her suitcase. “Right here.”

Chloe gave her a huge grin and hugged her. She was so excited she thought her heart would jump out of her throat. “Thank you so much…”

“I’m just so happy I can help, sweetie.” Her mother started to unpack some. “You wanna take a look?”

Chloe was extremely paranoid after all the planning she had put in. She shook her head and put her finger to her lips, which her mother responded to by winking.

Chloe sighed and tried to calm herself before joining Max again. “Just two more days…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took a while! I might have gotten distracted by other video game lesbians. I thought about having more to this one, but I feel like it works as is. Next chapter is the last one and should be longer than the others have been! It may be a bit before it's up because I'm awful and procrastinate.
> 
> Thanks for reading, everyone!!! I hope you're enjoying it and I seriously appreciate all the hits and comments and kudos <3


	5. Christmas Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family gathers to open presents, but Chloe has a surprise.

“Wow, thank you so much guys!” Max looked over the new messenger bag Joyce and David had given her. It was tan with beautiful embroidery of cherry blossoms. “This is so awesome!”

“You are very welcome, Max. Your mother helped me pick it out,” Joyce said happily. She was lounging comfortably in the armchair in the Caulfields’ living room. David sat next to her in a kitchen chair, petting Buddy, who was sitting between his legs. Buddy seemed to really like David. The big dog had even been sleeping in the guest room for the last couple of days.

“She asked me if you needed anything and I figured you could stand to replace that bag you’ve been using since you were a high school freshman.” Max’s mother was on the couch, leaning against her husband and using Max’s camera to take pictures of the girls opening gifts. It made Max feel a bit like a kid, especially since she and Chloe were on the floor.

Their parents had insisted that the girls open presents first. Max’s parents had gotten her some film (which was part of every gift she’d gotten from them for several years) and Blu Rays of some of her favorite movies, since she could actually play them now that Chloe had an Xbox. Chloe’s parents had gotten her money and some clothes, since she was very difficult to get gifts for.

Chloe was currently unwrapping a small box from Max’s parents with a look of “you actually got me something?” She freed the plain brown box from the paper and opened it. Her expression changed as she paused with the object half out of the box.

Chloe was quiet for a second before she removed the box completely, leaving a snow globe in her hand. “You got me a snow doe…” She smiled and looked up at Max’s parents. “Thank you.”

Max’s mom smiled. “Your mom said to just get you money but it caught my eye in a shop and it just…seemed appropriate.” Max was pretty sure she or Chloe had never mentioned the snow globe from Chloe’s room that had been lost to the storm. Chloe had told her since then that it was a small sentimental thing that she kinda regretted losing. Max watched Chloe slowly rub her thumb over the glass as she stared at the globe.

After a moment she carefully set it aside and stood up. “Alright, your turn.” Chloe moved to the Christmas tree and retrieved four small gifts. She checked the tags and handed them out to the parents. “These are from me and Max.”

Chloe returned to Max and sat closer, putting her arms around her. Max’s dad was the first to pull the mug out of the box and laughed loudly. He turned it to show everyone. “World’s Beardiest Dad,” he read aloud.

Joyce and Max’s mom removed their mugs and turned them. They both read “Queen of the Castle.” They looked at each other and Max’s mom laughed while Joyce nodded and said “Damn right.”

“We argued over who was gonna get that one and decided you both needed it,” Max said.

Joyce looked at David, who was looking silently at his with his brow furrowed slightly. “What’s yours say, David?” she asked. He turned it so the room could see the mug that was plain except for a picture of a mustache that was nearly identical to David’s. Joyce burst out laughing and Chloe snickered in Max’s ear.

David looked at Chloe and started laughing too. “You smartass,” he said through his chuckling.

“You’re welcome,” Chloe said smugly.

“She got those for me and Kate, too,” Max said. “Kate’s was really cute. It said ‘It’s always time for tea.’ Mine had a picture of my face.” She could feel Chloe shaking a bit as she started laughing already. “I asked her why and do you know what she said?”

Chloe quietly laughed to herself as she answered. “It’s a mug shot.”

Max looked at her parents with an unamused expression as Chloe continued laughing at her own joke. “I almost threw it at her.”

“Well these are great. Thank you, girls,” Max’s dad said.

“Aren’t they? They’re from a cool online store I found that will print like, anything you want on a mug,” Chloe said proudly.

“Please don’t,” Max thought.

“I got myself a mug a few months ago that says-“

Max slapped her hand over Chloe’s mouth. “Nothing! It says nothing.” Max turned and glared at Chloe, who was giving her usual shit-eating grin under Max’s hand. Chloe was going to tell them that her mug says “I’m a Vagitarian.” Max recalled how red Kate got the first time she saw it. Actually, Kate’s face turns red every time she sees it, but she’s gotten more used to it. It didn’t help that Chloe uses it all the damn time.

When she was sure that Chloe wouldn’t continue, Max removed her hand. Chloe was still grinning and stuck her tongue out playfully. “Is that all the gifts?” Chloe asked.

“Yeah, the rest are for us to take to my grandma’s tomorrow,” Max answered. Her dad’s parents lived a couple hours away and some of the family was congregating there this year. There were a few gifts for her grandparents and some cousins remaining under the tree.

“Really? Even that big box in the back?” Chloe still wore a teasing expression as Max narrowed her eyes at her.

“What did you do?” she accused. Chloe just smiled back, so Max got up and went to the tree. She squeezed between it and the wall to find the large gift in question, hiding in the back. Sure enough, the label read “To: Max, From: Chloe.” Max pulled it out, careful not to harm the tree, and was surprised at how light it was. “Chloe, we already exchanged our gifts,” she said as she sat herself and the present next to Chloe.

“Yeah, well, I wanted to get you something else.”

Max began removing the paper until she uncovered a lightly taped box. She removed the tape and opened it to find… “Oh goddammit, Chloe,” …another wrapped box. She even used different paper. “Chloe, how many are there?” Max looked over her shoulder, where Chloe had shifted to sit cross-legged. She looked excited about this.

“Keep going and find out,” she smirked.

Max rolled her eyes and took the smaller box out. She grabbed the large box and flipped it, trying to put it over Chloe’s head. Chloe giggled and took it from her. Max returned her attention to the gift and unwrapped it again. When she opened this one, though, wrapping paper wasn’t the first thing she saw. On top of the next box was a picture. It was a copy of one from her albums, one that had made it out of Arcadia Bay. It was a selfie of her and Chloe in Chloe’s bed. Max remembered that morning, the one after they had snuck into Blackwell’s swimming pool. It was the morning she had first kissed Chloe, even though it was on a dare. Thinking back, Max was pretty sure that morning was when she started being more sure of her feelings for Chloe.

Max was a bit stunned, but more than that, she was intrigued. She set the copied photo aside and took the next box out, which was once again wrapped with different paper. She was vaguely aware of the silence in the room, but was focused on whatever ridiculous prize awaited her at the bottom of the boxes. Inside this box was another copied photograph, this one of Max on the floor of her parents’ house with Buddy between her legs, licking her face. It was a while after they had arrived here after the storm, and she remembered that Chloe said she took it because it was the first time Max had smiled since they had left Arcadia Bay.

The next layer down was a photo of Max and Chloe in Max’s bed here. She felt a wave of warmth come over her face as she looked at it. Chloe had a huge smile and was taking the picture as Max buried her face in Chloe’s shoulder. Chloe had decided to take a picture of them after their first time having sex. She shook her head slightly, placed the photo on the growing pile next to her, and began unwrapping the next box.

The next photo was of Max and Chloe holding up their college acceptance letters. The next layer had two photos, one of their empty apartment and one after they had moved in and decorated. Next were three photos from their first day of being in their apartment: Chloe drinking her coffee in the kitchen half asleep, Max putting things away on the bookshelf, and Chloe sitting on the living room floor, surrounded by boxes, eating Chinese food and watching a movie on Max’s laptop.

As Max made her way through the many boxes, the pictures increased in number at each layer. They weren’t any of Max’s more “artistic” photos. It was just a recap of their everyday lives. There were some that Max was proud of as a photographer, like one of Chloe in the park at sunset. Kate was in a few as well. Max smiled as she looked over the pictures and remembered the moments they had captured. That was part of why she loved being a photographer: making physical memories that allowed her to relive important moments. Max had made a formidable stack of pictures and the makings of a box fort by the time she got to what she assumed was the last box.

This one was quite small with a delicate white ribbon and shiny white and silver paper. Max felt her heart jump, a sudden feeling that whatever was inside was important. She untied the ribbon gently and set it aside, then undid the paper more carefully than she had with the other boxes. It revealed a plain black box with a lid. She took the lid off and found an actual photo, not a copy, which had presumably been taken with her camera. The picture was a close-up of a small, closed black box sitting on a wooden table. Max took the picture out and stared at it for a second, her mind blank.

“Max?” Chloe’s voice came from behind her. Her subconscious must have processed what was happening before she could, because she instinctively stood up and turned around. There was the same small black box, open in Chloe’s hands as she kneeled on one knee. Max’s eyes were drawn first to Chloe, just like they always were. Chloe had tears in her eyes as she tried to hold her composure, a nervous smile trembling slightly on her lips. Then Max noticed the ring. “Max…”

“YES!” Max yelled. She tackled Chloe, careful to close the box on their way to the floor. Max pressed her lips to Chloe’s as joyful tears began to run down her face. Their kiss was broken by Chloe pushing her away slightly.

“Wait, I had a speech,” Chloe complained.

“Tell me later!” Max kissed her again. She felt Chloe’s smile against hers as they kissed. Her mind came back to her and she pulled back, looking at Chloe. Max felt herself falling in love with her stunningly beautiful face all over again. “How can you afford a ring?” she asked.

Chloe smiled. “It’s my mother’s,” she choked out.

Max suddenly remembered their surroundings and removed herself from atop Chloe. She sat back and looked at the parents. Her mother looked like she was barely keeping it together as she held Max’s camera and shook a photo she had just taken, while her dad gave a huge, bright smile from under his beard. Joyce had her hand balled up in a fist over her mouth, her smile peeking out over it. David held Joyce’s other hand and wore the happiest expression Max had ever seen him have. All four of them looked like they were crying.

Max took the ring box off the floor and opened it. She stared at the simple and elegant design of the ring inside: a thin gold band with a small, dazzling diamond. She looked back to Joyce. “Joyce…” Max couldn’t quite find the words she wanted.

Joyce inhaled and exhaled deeply, waving her hand to fan herself and regain her composure. “That was the ring William gave me,” she explained. “When Chloe told me she thought it was time, I insisted you have it.” Max looked back to the ring and stared again, mesmerized by the white gem. She lifted her other hand to remove it, but set it back down. 

Max turned to Chloe, who was wiping her face on her sweater. Chloe stopped and looked at Max, who held the ring box out to her. “Wait, what…” she stuttered. Chloe’s eyes widened and Max thought she saw her start to panic that Max was changing her mind.

“You didn’t actually ask me,” Max said and held out her left hand, her fingers splayed. 

Chloe’s shoulders relaxed slightly and she lifted her head a bit higher. She took the ring box and opened it, turning it so that Max could see the ring. “Max Caulfield, will you marry me?”

Max felt another wave of tears begin to form as she smiled. “Yes.” Chloe delicately took the ring from the box and slid it onto Max’s finger. Max held her hand out and looked at the ring there. Her vision refocused behind her hand to Chloe’s grin, which she was certain was sparkling even brighter than the ring. “No take backs,” Max said as she set her hands down.

“Never,” Chloe answered. She took Max’s hands and Max leaned in to kiss her fiancée.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we go! Nobody saw that coming at all, nope. Sorry it took so long (finishing a Christmas fic in March is fine, right? I mean I have snow right now so...). I hope you all enjoyed it! I really appreciate the hits and kudos and whatnot (I say it every time but seriously, thank you <3).
> 
> As for the future, I want to do a fic that deals with Max and Chloe right after leaving Arcadia Bay, specifically them dealing with what happened and exploring their relationship. I'll eventually get back to continuing from this point and probably also have some small one offs (I'm even planning a very sexy piece, provided my friend holds up her end of the deal). I'm not exactly sure what I want to do next, but everything will be under my Sunshine for Everyone series, which is all the same post-canon universe.

**Author's Note:**

> This piece should be four chapters, as I have it planned now. I also have other works in mind, all taking place in this same post-game universe. If you don't care to subscribe or don't have an account, I also post links to works on my blog (sassamapod.tumblr.com). It's pretty much all reblogs of fandoms, and I'm happy to chat with anyone that would like to!
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading and I appreciate feedback! = )


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